Man found dead in Scottsdale linked to 6 Valley murders, police say

By KTAR.com | June 4, 2018 at 8:15 amUPDATED: June 4, 2018 at 10:19 pm

Police work at a hotel where a suspect wanted in several killings was staying Monday, June 4, 2018, in Scottsdale, Ariz. According to police, the suspect killed himself as police closed in on the hotel. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

PHOENIX — The man who was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a hotel in Scottsdale after being suspected of killing four people in the Valley in less than a week has been linked to at least two more murders in the area.

Dwight Lamon Jones, 56, was found dead in an Extended Stay America near 69th Street and Shea Boulevard on Monday.

Officers from Scottsdale and Phoenix had tried to make contact with Jones, who had barricaded himself in a hotel room after opening fire on police.

A SWAT unit made its way into the room, but officers said the man was already dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

All four were killed at their offices — Pitt near Scottsdale and Bell roads in Phoenix on Thursday; Sharp and Anderson near First and 75th streets in Scottsdale on Friday and Levine near Mountain View and Hayden roads, also in Scottsdale, early Saturday.

Pitt, 59, a celebrated forensic psychiatrist, was gunned down after he was overheard having an argument with another man. Police were able to put together a sketch of the man from witness statements.

The women, paralegals, worked at Burt Feldman Grenier, a law firm that specialized in divorce, child support and other aspects of family law litigation and mediation.

Levine had been a licensed psychiatrist in New Jersey, but was a hypnotherapist and counselor in the Valley.

Jones was also linked to the shooting deaths of 70-year-old Mary Simmons and 72-year-old Bryon Thomas, whose bodies were found Sunday in a Fountain Hills home.

Police also witnessed Jones attempt to discard a .22 caliber gun that came from the residence.

Rich Slavin with the Scottsdale Police Department said while police have not been able to determine a motive for the murders, he said all of the previously-identified victims were related to Jones through his divorce with his ex-wife from 2010.

Jones’ ex-wife, Connie Jones, retained Elizabeth Feldman with Burt Feldman Grenier as her attorney, his son was required to see Pitt as part of the divorce agreement and his son was required to see a psychiatrist who would have been in the same office as Levine, but Levine had been subletting the space when he was shot and killed.

Pitt also evaluated Jones during divorce proceedings and testified against him in September 2010. Court records showed that Pitt told a court that Jones had anxiety and mood disorders and features of a paranoid personality.

“We started to see that he was visiting them in an effort to right some wrongs,” Slavin said.

Slavin said police believe that Jones intended to harm more victims, but said there is no evidence of any additional victims at the moment.

Jones also had a history with law enforcement: In 2009, he was arrested on domestic violence, assault and disorderly conduct charges. Slavin said his victims were his ex-wife and his child.

Police would not speculate why Jones tracked down people connected to his divorce so long after it happened. They say he had been living in extended-stay hotels for the past nine years.

Connie Jones said in a statement that her husband was “very emotionally disturbed” and that she feared for her safety for the past nine years.

“I cannot express the emotions I feel for the innocent families touched by this senseless violence,” Jones said.

“Any reward money collected will be donated to the families of the victims and to Chrysalis, the non-profit agency that helps victims of domestic abuse and violence.”

In a statement, officials with Burt Feldman Grenier thanked police for their efforts and expressed sympathy for the victims.

“We feel tremendous sorrow for the victims of this senseless tragedy. Our hearts go out to the families of Laura, Valeria, Steven and Marshall. We hope that everyone remembers these great people for the warmth and love they showed during their lives,” the statement read.

The law firm also said it would continue to work with police to “help obtain a complete picture of why this mass murder occurred.”